LeBron James Becomes NBA’s All-Time Leader in Minutes Played
LeBron James surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most minutes played in NBA history, marking another milestone in his legendary career.
LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings, NBA, Basketball
Los Angeles: LeBron James just keeps breaking records. On Thursday, he played for at least nine minutes, which made him the all-time leader in minutes played in the NBA. He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s long-standing record of 57,446 minutes. The only other active player close to that is Chris Paul, with 44,050 minutes.
After Thursday’s game, LeBron’s total minutes hit 57,471. He also scored 19 points, dished out seven assists, and grabbed six rebounds in a 113-100 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
LeBron, who’s turning 40 soon, had already broken Kareem’s points record over a year ago. Now, he’s eyeing the field goals record too. Kareem retired with 15,837 field goals, while LeBron was at 15,045 before Thursday’s game.
Interestingly, LeBron was already the leader in combined regular season and postseason minutes before this milestone. He’s logged about 69,295 minutes in total, which is like spending a month and a half just playing basketball. That’s more than the combined careers of James Worthy and Dennis Rodman!
Every record he breaks just adds to his legacy as one of the greatest players ever. But it’s a tricky time for the Lakers. After a decent start, they’ve lost eight of their last 13 games. LeBron even missed two games due to a foot injury but came back on Sunday.
This season is crucial for him, especially since he finally gets to play alongside his son, Bronny. The Lakers have had their ups and downs since winning the title in 2020. They even hired JJ Redick, LeBron’s podcast buddy, as their head coach, despite him having little coaching experience. This year, a lot rides on LeBron and what he can do for the team.
Plus, there’s the possibility of him entering free agency this offseason if he decides to turn down his $52.6 million player option. Retirement is also on the table after all the speculation over the years.